This is a self portrait from a photo taken at Speakeasy Dollhouse in early March. I used the Inkpad vector drawing app on the iPad mini. I am playing around with using my QR code as a sort of signature. In this picture I am drinking some of the “special coffee” from a teacup. I loved the atmosphere of the speakeasy, especially the antique furnishings. Below is a picture of an antique cigarette machine that reminds me of diners I frequented when I was younger. A special note about my dress – this is a Betsey Johnson dress that I bought in the 90’s and amazingly it still fits! I can say I really got my money’s worth on this dress.

This is a portrait of Regina Stargazer from a Saint Patrick’s Day Dr. Sketchy at the Clash Bar in Clifton. This session featured the White Elephant Burlesque Society and had an Irish theme. Fortunately I was able to take pictures and I will be posting more of the photos and drawings as I finish working on them.

This is a portrait of Regina from the session using the Repix app and Artrage on the iPad mini:

Hipstamatic just brought out their new Silver Lake Hipstapak. This Hipstapak includes Abbie (or Mabel) Lens and Dixie film. The lens has a nice light leak and the film has a feathered edges look. I did some test shots in my studio and I am looking forward to trying it out outdoors when the weather gets a little nicer.

This weekend is also Retro Weekend Sale when Hipstamatic is bringing back some older lenses for just .99 cents-so grab them quickly while you can!

I was very fortunate to see the immersive play “Speakeasy Dollhouse” by Cynthia Von Buhler twice in the last two months. My first time was in February for a Monday night performance for which I had won tickets through Facebook. The second time was on a Saturday night in March. I was really excited about seeing the show because it featured a lot of burlesque performers who I had drawn at Dr. Sketchy’s. Even though the show was basically the same both nights it was a totally different experience each time because you could follow around different performers and see different parts of some of the murder mystery from different perspectives. Here is a short description from the Speakeasy Dollhouse website:

“This is an immersive event. Each guest will be assigned a name and role. We encourage you to explore. Unlocked doors (or revolving bookshelves) should be entered. Ignore the advice your parents gave you as children, be nosy and talk to strangers. Time is warped here; it is between 1933 (prohibition-era) – 1935.”

The theatergoers are encouraged to wear clothes from that era and it was sometimes hard to distinguish the actors from the audience. The drinks were served in coffee cups and live jazz was played through out the night. Burlesque stars (and some of my favorite Dr. Sketchy models) Delysia La Chatte, Lillet St. Sunday and Kat Mon Dieu performed during the show. The bar and adjoining rooms are beautifully decorated with large paintings and comfortable couches. There is also a secret room hidden by a trick bookcase where some of the more intimate scenes are played out.

This was truly a unique event, and I am so glad that I was able to experience it. In addition to the Play, Cynthia Von Buhler has written an accompanying book and has created an actual dollhouse depicting the story. This Sunday I will be going to a special Speakyeasy dollhouse Dr. Sketchy session featuring Kat Mon Deui and Katelan Foisy.

This is a portrait of Danielle who was a contestant on King of the Nerds. Danielle is also known as @Tradechat on Twitter and YouTube and she is a gamer who specializes in World of Warcraft. I don’t really like reality competition shows but I liked KoTN because there were some really neat competitions, such as cosplay and comic book trivia. There wasn’t as much forced drama as some other shows and the contestants seemed to genuinely like each other.

Hello and Welcome!

Through the Lava Lamp features the artwork of Rita Flores created using cutting edge technology such as the iPad and iPhone, as well as more traditional work such as drawing and acrylic painting. Thank you for stopping by and please feel free to add comments or ask questions about my techniques.